We’re about to watch another year in Aaron Rodgers’ precious career wasted as the Green Bay Packers made the stupid decision to not even consider firing head coach Mike McCarthy.
While people are already predicting another Rodgers MVP campaign (and it could happen), the oddsmakers at BetDSI Sportsbook don’t see anything other than a mediocre McCarthy-led flame out coming down the pike. Here’s the odds they’re offering.
Green Bay Packers 2018-19 Regular Season Win Total
Over 10 (+100)
Under 10 (-135)
Rodgers is the best quarterback that currently plays the sport and every time he goes down with so much as a toe fungus, McCarthy is completely exposed as a sham. Last season’s 7-9 finish was no fluke. Rodgers broke his collar bone, as he does every couple of seasons, and Green Bay’s year was done.
While you may pretend that’s not a fair assessment and, of course, losing Rodgers is a major blow, I ask you this. If Tom Brady goes down in New England, do the Patriots finish 7-9? Keep in mind that in games where Brady was injured or suspended, the Pats under Bill Belichick are 14-6. That was 3-1 when Brady was suspended for DeflateGate back in 2016 and 11-5 in 2008 when Brady tore his ACL in the season-opening game.
Aaron Rodgers appears three times on this list, with three separate receivers. Is that good? #Packers pic.twitter.com/gwj1hjlFzZ
— PFF GB Packers (@PFF_Packers) June 5, 2018
That was 11-5 in a hellish AFC that season where that record wasn’t even good enough to make the playoffs.
McCarthy has lucked into a coaching career thanks to Rodgers and the QB’s talent has kept him employed when he should be in the kitchen at a Fudrucker’s mopping the floor. With a healthy Rodgers at quarterback, this team should be a Super Bowl contender every season. Yet no one is even putting them in the conversation this year. That’s on McCarthy.
Talent-wise, Rodgers has the tools around him to succeed if he didn’t have a complete stooge calling the plays. Green Bay cut Jordy Nelson, but still has Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, who finally broke out. Geronimo Allison was a UDFA find in 2016 and fourth rounder J’Mon Moore and sixth rounder Equanimeous St. Brown will also see enough time on the field that by season’s end I should be able to spell St. Brown’s name correctly without first looking it up.
The Pack added real running backs to the mix last year, but it looks like Ty Montgomery is still being counted on to carry the load. If McCarthy was smart (and he isn’t)56666tttttt he’d give Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones every opportunity to take that job in the preseason.
“We don’t hang division banners around here.” -Mike McCarthy pic.twitter.com/Dw668VUjYR
— GBP Daily (@GBPdaily) May 30, 2018
Green Bay’s September schedule is a gift that might fool pundits and fans to expect more out of this team in 2018. They open with the Chicago Bears at Lambeau, then host the Minnesota Vikings just in time to catch a real Super Bowl contender early and before new quarterback Kirk Cousins is comfortable in the offense.
After that they travel to FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins, then host the Buffalo Bills. That’s three home games to open the year and, what should be, at least a 3-1 start.
After that, it gets dicey with a brutal four-game stretch at the Detroit Lions, at home against the San Francisco 49ers, at the Los Angeles Rams and at the New England Patriots. There’s a good chance they could go 0-4 in that stretch and definitely shouldn’t do better than 1-3.
With another coach, you could comfortably take the over with Rodgers tossing passes. As it is, I think this is a 9-7 Packers team at best. It’s the under for me.
